


Heal Thyself

by BlackIndiaInk



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Major Illness, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:12:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26430178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackIndiaInk/pseuds/BlackIndiaInk
Summary: Josie gets very ill and Hope takes care of her.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 20
Kudos: 189





	1. Sometimes You Just Gotta Crash Before You Can Rise

**Author's Note:**

> My wonderful co-author @svelazquez (on tumblr) deserves many kudos for making this fic happen. 
> 
> Takes place a little over a year after the events at the end of Season 2. Landon is dead, Hope has grieved and Josie has tried to move on from the dark period in her life.

Josie was not prepared to wake up and feel like death warmed over. Her body ached, she was exhausted to the point that she couldn’t sit up at times, her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and her temperature was so high that she radiated heat. 

Yesterday she’d felt a tickle in her throat and a little hot but she ignored it. When she woke up the next day, she knew there was something wrong. She could barely stand to move and even brushing her teeth took more energy than a marathon. When she got out of the shower it hurt to even dry herself with the towel. The texture of the towel felt like sandpaper today.

She exited the bathroom and ran straight into Lizzie, who had been waiting outside the door. Josie pulled her robe tighter around her body and cleared her throat. It was starting to get more scratchy. 

“What took you so long?” Lizzie asked. 

“What do you mean?” Josie replied. 

“You were in there for forty-five minutes! Not all of us have the luxury of not caring about our appearance. I need my bathroom time,” she complained. 

“Whatever,” Josie said. 

She rolled her eyes and covered her mouth, suppressing a cough and walking away from her fuming sister. Ever since the dark magic had been expelled from her body, Lizzie had been a little more snappish with her about little things like this. It had been a year but there was no sign of that changing. That being said, Josie had taken longer in the shower than usual but only because she thought it would help make her feel better. It hadn’t worked and now she stood in the bedroom zoning out.

Ok, take Tylenol and fill up your water bottle. It’s Friday, just survive classes and make sure you don’t look too gross before your date with Hope later.

“What, you’re still not dressed yet? Who are you mumbling to?” Lizzie asked. 

“Nothing! I mean, nobody. I’m not mumbling. Can we just go get breakfast?” Josie replied with a deep sigh. 

Lizzie watched as Josie put on her uniform and just walked out of the room, her hair still wet.

“Are you even going to do your makeup?” Lizzie asked, trailing behind her. 

Josie ignored her sister and kept walking toward the dining hall. She didn’t have the energy to answer that question or any others for that matter. There was no sense in arguing this early. 

Hope was sitting there at their usual spot and noticed that Josie had only brought her usual cup of tea but no food. It worried her, but most everything worried her now that she’d admitted to herself that she was totally in love with Josie Saltzman. 

After losing Landon, it had seemed impossible to let someone else in. Turns out, it was just as impossible for Hope to keep Josie out. They’d known one another for so long that it all happened naturally now that their journey with dark magic and Malivore was over. They both had time to heal a little and that’s when Hope started to notice how good Josie smelled and felt the flutters deep in her stomach when they touched for any reason.

Thankfully, it went both ways. At least, she’d determined that after they’d almost kissed one night a week ago. It was a normal night of watching movies and hanging out except Lizzie wasn’t there. She was off doing some Lizzie thing and they’d been alone.

Josie took her hand and started rubbing tiny circles with her thumb on the back of Hope’s hand. It had gone from there. Hope flirting, Josie flirting back and then just when they both leaned in to kiss, Lizzie had come back, declaring that she was utterly disgusted with MG and men in general. They hadn’t talked since and now Hope desperately wanted to get her alone today. She had asked Josie if they could hang out together tonight with that subtle, unspoken question of do you want to go out with me?

Josie sat down next to her and smiled, at least managing to pull that off without a grimace. 

“Good morning,” Hope said. 

Her smile was so broad that Josie’s widened in response. Nothing had changed since that night, everything was electric between them.

Josie sipped her tea quietly and even though she was usually pretty quiet, Hope felt like she was too quiet. Maybe she was uncomfortable being around Hope? Maybe she regretted what almost happened between them! Fear flared in Hope’s mind.

She reached out and touched Josie’s bare forearm, frowning when she felt how warm her skin felt. 

“Are you okay, Jo?” She asked. 

Josie’s head turned in a flash to look back at Hope. There was soft concern in Hope’s eyes and affection, more of the latter than anything else.

“Oh, yeah just tired,” Josie muttered. 

Her voice was so quiet and weak that Hope’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline.There was no time to push for more information because the bell rang and Josie stood up, drinking the last of her tea and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Except, when she did, it landed like a sack of anvils. She flinched under the weight and wondered when it had gotten so heavy. She whispered something about seeing Hope at lunch and walked away. 

Before Lizzie could leave too, Hope grabbed her arm and made her stay at the table. 

“What’s wrong with Josie?” Hope asked. 

“What?” Lizzie frowned and shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong. She hogged the bathroom this morning and made us late for breakfast but she seems fine to me.” 

“How can you say that?” Hope asked. 

She gestured to the spot where Josie had been sitting. 

“Her face is so pale, she feels like she’s burning up, she can barely talk, and she looks like she’s about to collapse at any moment. She looks sick to me,” Hope argued. 

Lizzie scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Josie doesn’t get sick. She was probably just up too late texting you like she has been for the last week. Thanks for that by the way. Her phone vibrating wakes me up and you know I need my sleep to look this stunning,” Lizzie shot back. 

“Okay, fine just keep an eye on her, okay?” Hope implored, ignoring the comment about texts.

Lizzie was already standing and ready to walk away, not in the least concerned that her sister might be ill. It irked Hope that this pattern had come back after all the progress that Lizzie and Josie had made in their relationship.

“Two steps forward, three steps back,” Hope mumbled as Lizzie walked away.

_

A few hours later, Josie was sitting in class struggling to keep her head from dropping onto her desk. The teacher was lecturing on the Roman empire in Britain and Josie's eyes steadily closed bit by bit. She jerked awake when the bell rang, indicating it was time for the next period. 

She had independent study next, which fell right before lunch so at least she could get more tea soon. She’d been steadily using little bits of magic to keep herself awake enough to get through class but her reserves were draining quickly. She ended up in the library sitting in the corner with a book opened in front of her on the table. Not that she was paying any attention to it. 

Two hands landed on the table in front of her and she looked up to find Lizzie staring down at her. 

“Andrea Simmons is a bitch,” Lizzie stated. 

“What?” Josie shook her head and narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on Lizzie. 

“Did you not hear me? She’s a terror, always sitting there arguing with me in class and kissing the teacher’s ass,” Lizzie fumed. 

“Calm down, Lizzie.” Josie hissed. “My head is pounding.” 

Lizzie raised her eyebrows and leaned further into her sister’s personal space. 

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked. 

“Nothing! Why do people keep asking me that?” Josie asked. 

“Because you look like crap an-” 

They were interrupted by a creaking sound and a small cry. Josie’s head whipped around to find the source. Little Pedro was halfway up one of the huge library stacks, most likely trying to reach a book on the top shelf, which was in the process of falling. 

Josie reached out with her mind, using all her reserves of magic and caught the whole piece of furniture in midair. Her breathing became labored and a sharp pain pierced her head as she continued to hold it suspended. She gasped and gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white. 

“Hurry! Get. Him. Down.” Josie gasped. 

Someone rushed up, one of the wolves Josie didn’t know well, and helped Pedro get down. He had been hanging by one hand from the edge of the shelf because of the angle at which the stack was suspended, a book tightly clenched in the other hand. 

Once Pedro was clear, Josie let go and let the stack fall. Books clattered everywhere and the huge thump must have been heard all around the school. 

“Why didn’t you just put it back upright? It’s not even that heavy?” Lizzie criticized. 

“Why didn’t you help me?” Josie huffed. 

She slowly rose from her seat and started to walk out of the library. Each step was a struggle, like wading through wet concrete. She’d left her books and backpack behind, not caring about anything but getting out of there. She needed something to drink, maybe some soup would help. 

In an effort to steady herself, Josie kept a hand to the wall as she walked. Everything was in slow motion and she felt off balance. 

Why do I feel so run down? When was the last time I siphoned? Couldn’t have been more than a few hours ago—

She was shaken from her thoughts when she felt a soft, cool hand touch her elbow. She stopped moving. When she looked to her right she saw Jade standing there, her brows knit in concern. 

“You okay? Here, let me help,” Jade said. 

“I’m fine,” Josie said, managing a weak smile. 

“You sure?” Jade asked. 

She bit her bottom lip and watched Josie, her eyes roaming in appraisal. It made Josie feel a little exposed. 

“You look a little unsteady.” Jade shrugged. “Not that I… was watching you or anything.” She quickly added. 

Josie bristled slightly. There had been a weird vibe with Jade ever since she came back to school and Josie couldn’t muster the energy to spend any time pondering that vibe right now. She had more immediate concerns. Like when the dining hall had gotten so far away from the library. 

“It’s totally fine. I’m just tired so I’m going to lunch and I’m sure I’ll feel better after I eat,” Josie said, rambling. 

“Oh, okay,” Jade replied. “I’ll just… let you go then.” 

She dropped her hand from Josie’s arm and stepped away. Josie smiled again and took another step, willing herself forward so Jade wouldn’t have another excuse to stop her. And if the action took her away from Jade’s intimate examination of her, all the better. 

She pushed on, using all her energy to walk the familiar route to the dining hall. She even made it close to the lunch line before the edges of her vision blurred, turning dark. 

No no no, stay awake! Don’t pass out in front of the whole school! 

She instinctively reached a hand out with the urge to siphon, though not even knowing from what or whom. She didn’t make it that far. The world spun for a second before she felt that somehow now familiar feeling of falling. 

Something stopped her from hitting the ground. The familiar scent of expensive shampoo and a hint of autumn when the chill in the air carries the smell of falling leaves. Hope. She had apparently wrapped her arms around Josie who smiled despite being in and out of unconsciousness. She was safe now that Hope was here. Like always.


	2. The Soul Knows How To Heal Itself.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josie gets worse and Hope tries to find a way to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! We love to hear from you guys about what you like and don't like. Big hugs to my cohort on this fic. She's has the best headcanons and lovely writing.

Hope was just getting to lunch, ready to find Josie and check on her. The last two classes had been awful. The waiting and worrying culminated in frustration when there was no answer to her many text messages to Josie. When she texted Lizzie because she knew they had last period together, all she got was a snarky reply along the lines of; “Stop being such a creep on my sister, she’s fine! Rub your scent on someone else, wolf princess.”

Last time I ask her for help...

She walked into the dining hall and saw Josie standing near the lunch line with her back towards her. She smiled softly when she took in the messy ponytail Josie wore and remembered that she wasn’t wearing make up. She looked so good like that, casual and natural. She’d have to tell her how attractive it was and that Josie should do it more. Lipstick and eyeshadow brought occasional thoughts of Dark Josie to mind. 

“Hey, Jo,” Hope called. 

As she got near her eyebrows drew together. Josie didn’t answer. Hope got closer and called out again. 

“Josie?” 

Hope watched as at that moment Josie’s knees decided to buckle and she collapsed, falling quickly towards the floor. Hope reached out her hand and channeled her magic to slow Josie’s progress. 

“Move!” She yelled at the nearby students. Her voice commanded rather than requested. All the fury of her magic radiated from her body, making everyone near the scene take a step back. She caught Josie from behind and cradled her body as well as she could. She bent her knees and hoisted Josie up, supporting her limp body and tucking her head under her chin in one swift movement. 

“It’s okay. I gotcha. Come on, Jo,” she muttered as she carried Josie in her arms. She made the quick decision to examine Josie away from the prying eyes of the Salvatore student body. 

Hope traipsed down the halls of the school with Josie held bridal style in her arms. No one stopped them to question what was happening. She had enough of her hands free to magically open the door to Josie and Lizzie’s room. 

She softly put Josie down on her bed. She made to tuck her under the blankets but stopped herself to remove Josie’s shoes first and then tuck. 

Josie wasn’t completely out cold, thank goodness, but she wasn’t coherent either. With the freedom to look closer, Hope could see how pale she was in contrast to her dangerously rosy cheeks. Hope didn’t need to feel her forehead to know she was feverish. She felt it under her own chin as she carried her here. 

She thought to go get Dr. Saltzman but decided not to leave in case something happened. She called Alaric from her cell phone instead. He came as soon as she told him what happened, barely waiting until Hope had finished her last sentence before hanging up. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, marching into the room and right up to the bed where Hope had put Josie down. “Josie?”

He knelt down and felt her forehead, looking back at Hope as he did it. Josie jolted slightly at the cool touch but otherwise didn’t show any kind of response. 

“She’s on fire. How long has she been like this?” He asked. 

“I don’t know. This morning she looked kind of run down and tired. I could feel that she was hot to the touch but she told me that she was fine.” Hope ran her hands through her hair, stopping at the crown of her head and released a breath. “I saw her falling when I walked into the dining hall for lunch and I caught her before she hit the ground.” 

“Did she say anything else about what symptoms she’s having?” He asked. 

“Only that she was tired. I’m not sure what’s going on but it’s not a normal cold. Look at her. She was okay yesterday but now she’s passed out,” Hope said. 

“Muhhhhh,” Josie moaned. All of Hope’s attention snapped to Josie when she heard her, forgetting completely about the conversation she was just having. 

“Jo? Can you hear me?” Hope asked. 

Josie didn’t make a sound but she did move her hand the short distance from where it lay to sit on Hope’s arm. 

Hope bit the inside of her cheek and frowned. Something about this didn’t feel right. She couldn’t lose Josie. Losing anyone would kill her now after what happened to Landon, but especially Josie. When was the last time she had even seen Josie sick? Hope couldn’t remember. 

“We should call a doctor,” Alaric said. 

Hope looked down at the hand on her arm and took a deep breath. This illness had come on so quick. It made her wonder. 

“What if it’s not a cold or anything like that. What if it’s magic-related?” 

Hope sat on the side of the bed, took Josie’s hand, and squeezed it. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. 

“I don’t know, like a curse or something,” she replied. 

“I don’t think we should jump to conclusions until we get more information but we’ll look into it, okay? I’m going to try and find someone to come look at her,” he said. 

Hope didn’t acknowledge him as he made to leave. She was too busy wondering if she should have taken Josie to the hospital and then dismissing that idea. If this was magic related that wouldn’t help at all. 

“Hope?” He called back towards her. 

She looked back at him.

“This could just be a virus. Don’t start chasing ghosts just yet,” and with that he left the room. 

Hope could hear him speaking softly on his phone outside the doorway as the person on the other end of the line answered. It was a quick conversation and soon he was back beside the bed, standing behind Hope. 

Hope took her phone in her free hand and texted Lizzie. She should know that Josie was really unwell. It would be hard not to say I told you so but Hope would make a valiant effort. She didn’t get an immediate reply so she put the phone down, focusing on Josie again. 

“She looks so pale,” Hope observed. “Maybe we should get her some water.” 

Alaric sighed and rested his head in his hand. 

“We need to know what her temperature is and maybe some cold packs will help. I’ll go to the infirmary and grab some things and make some calls,” he said. 

He hurried from the room, needing to be doing something to help. It left Hope sitting with Josie, clutching her hand and praying to whatever goddess was listening that everything would be okay. 

Liquid pooled in her eyes, one tear slowly making its way down her cheek. There was nothing to do that wasn’t already being done and she wouldn’t leave Josie so she crawled up onto the bed. Josie’s body slowly turned toward her, not much but enough to let Hope know that her presence was welcome. 

Her cheek rested on the pillow next to Josie’s head and she lay staring. She reached out, putting her arm over Josie’s middle. She moved her head even closer so that it touched Josie’s temple. 

“Listen to me, Jo. You’re going to be fine. You have to be,” Hope whispered. 

Josie lay motionless, on fire from the inside out, and slowly slipping in and out. Hope sucked a deep breath into her lungs and lay there. She felt something, a tingling where her hand touched Josie. It called to Hope’s magic and pulled it in. Josie was siphoning in her sleep. 

She looks so weak right now. I wonder if...

Usually, Josie siphoned from her but maybe she could give her the magic like this instead. 

She poured herself into it, pressing against the physical barrier between their skin. She did her best to picture forcing her magic to bubble up to the surface. Maybe she could trigger Josie’s natural instinct to siphon if her skin could feel it so close. 

At first nothing more happened but when Hope started to whisper in Josie’s ear to please siphon more from her, the link opened up. Everywhere they touched a red glow emanated, soft but none too subtle to miss. Hope’s magic flowed into Josie and to her surprise she heard a gasp. The glow shifted colors, going from the normal red to a purple.

Josie’s eyelids fluttered and she moved, turning herself toward Hope fully and sliding her arm across their bodies to establish even more contact. If needed, she would give Josie everything, her magic and her life. She already had Hope’s heart. 

The glow dissipated and Josie’s eyes opened. Hope’s were closed now, her energy sapped after giving so much. She felt a little weak and it probably wasn’t the best idea to try and push her magic straight into Josie. 

Josie’s head turned and she took in Hope’s scent. They hadn’t been this close since their near kiss. How had this happened? The last thing she really remembered was falling. Hope had caught her, saved the day yet again. She was too weak to do much more than admire Hope and how their bodies fit together on the bed but that was nice enough. If only she didn’t feel like a mack truck had run over her she could enjoy this more. 

“Jo?” Hope whispered. 

“Hey,” Josie answered. 

“How do you feel?” Hope asked. 

“Awful but I’d be worse if you weren’t here,” Josie said. 

That made Hope smile. Josie was so sweet, even sweeter once they’d gotten closer. It made it easy to imagine being with her for real but sometimes she felt like she didn’t deserve it. 

“You scared me. I didn’t know what to think when you collapsed.” Hope reached up and placed her hand on Josie’s hot cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling that bad?” She asked. 

Josie closed her eyes and sighed, worrying her bottom lip while Hope waited for an answer. 

“After everything that happened last year, I didn’t want to deal with it. I also didn’t want to worry you. I thought it would just go away eventually like a cold. I guess I was also a little bit in denial,” Josie replied. 

Hope took a deep breath and considered what Josie was saying. They both went through a lot last year, some of it together. When she’d gone into Josie’s mind, she’d gained some understanding. Josie hated causing other people worry or pain and she’d rather slip into the background than be front and center causing drama. 

“I can’t lose you, Jo. Please tell me when things are wrong. I worry more if you don’t say something,” Hope managed to get out. 

She was close to tears and trying to remain dry eyed so Josie didn’t feel even worse. 

“Sorry,” Josie replied. 

“It’s okay. I don’t want you to feel bad. I just.. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I kinda like having you around,” Hope said. 

A small smile appeared on Josie’s face as she looked at Hope. 

“I like having you around too,” Josie replied. 

Hope inhaled deeply and pursed her lips. If only they were cuddling under better circumstances. She’d been thinking about being close to Josie like this for a long time. They had kept their distance when things were in that awkward in-between just friends and more.

Technically, they were still in that middle ground but progressing toward the romance part. Hope couldn’t help letting her eyes stray to Josie’s lips. It wasn’t a good idea but she wanted to finally kiss her. Josie leaned in a bit more, moving their lips closer. 

Or was that wishful thinking

Of course, Lizzie chose that moment to bust through the bedroom door and scare the hell out of both of them. They both jumped and Hope reflexively put up a hand to shoot a spell at whoever had entered but stopped herself before she fired off an offensive spell. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” Lizzie asked. 

She came to the side of the bed and pushed Josie away into the middle toward Hope. 

“I was a little busy and I did text you,” Hope complained. 

“Guys,” Josie said softly. 

Lizzie held her tongue for once but still gave Hope a steely glare. She then turned her attention to her sister.

“You know, I asked you what was going on this morning,” Lizzie chastised. “Why did you lie to me, Josie?”

“I didn’t,” Josie protested. She leaned up and coughed. 

“Leave her alone. She feels bad enough,” Hope warned. 

“How were we supposed to know she was really sick? She told us she was fine,” Lizzie argued. 

“I’m right here,” Josie complained. 

Josie coughed again afterwards and Hope looked down at her, frowning and ready to throttle Lizzie for turning this into a fight. 

“You know she hates being a burden. It’s been obvious all day that she was ill, even if she said she’s fine,” Hope wouldn’t let the subject drop. 

“I’m not a fucking mind reader—“

“Well I’m sure you were all too happy to leave your sister to suffer alone. It’s what you’re best at anyway.” Hope flinched at her own words as Josie gave her a look that she may have overstepped. 

Lizzie had the decency to look moderately ashamed at least. 

"Lizzie, why don't you go help Dad," Josie suggested. 

Her breathing was getting erratic again and Hope definitely noticed. They needed to calm her down.

"Sorry," Hope whispered to Josie. She was still awake but it looked like Josie didn’t really hear her. 

“I’m cold…” Josie mumbled into her pillow. Hope shot Lizzie a concerned look. As far as they both could tell Josie was still burning. 

"I'll help you get under the covers," Hope suggested. 

"I can do it. I'm sure you've got other things you could be doing besides perving on my sister," Lizzie said. 

"Lizzie, stop," Josie insisted. 

The words had more force behind them than any she had said since she woke up and both girls now have given her all their attention. 

"Fighting isn't helping… and I just," Josie started before a coughing fit took over her body. 

"Fine, I'll go help Dad. But you… no passing out again," Lizzie directed at Josie. "And you keep your hands to yourself."

The last part was directed at Hope who shook her head and nearly drew blood from literally biting her tongue. Lizzie could make her crazy sometimes.

“Actually Lizzie, you stay here,” Hope added. She had a better idea. “I’ll run out to get some medicine for Josie. It looks like you’re all out of just about everything.”

“Well it was Josie’s turn to refill the medicine cabinet,” Lizzie muttered.

“You never refill the cabinet!” Josie protested.

“Because you’re never sick!” Lizzie yelled back.

“Enough! Lizzie, take care of Josie. I’ll be back in an hour and call me immediately if anything happens,” and with that Hope grabbed her jacket. She needed some air anyway. 

So much for staying by Josie's side no matter what but Hope knew that Lizzie would take care of Josie now that she knew this was serious. It just wasn’t helping to have them all in the same room. Lizzie had warned her once that she didn’t want Hope getting together with Josie but this was ridiculous.


	3. Sweet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frantic calls and Josie's dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a hot minute. I've been working and having a bad mental health time so I apologize for it taking a bit. We're still working on chapter four so bare with us! Thanks for the comments and kudos! You guys rock.

Hope ran into Alaric who turned out to have gathered up all the cold medicine, ice packs, and a thermometer so she went straight to the library to look for some books that might help. The place was empty apart from one lone wolf in the back of the stacks who was apparently playing something on his laptop. 

She avoided him and went straight for the non-fiction section, browsing through the medical section. There were normal human books and then high up she found the books with information about magic and healing. 

The ladder was unsteady so she braced herself against the stacks and reached up for a book. Her hand wrapped around the leather spine. She pulled it down and held it in one hand. The cover read Magical Maladies and Cures. It was a thick book, one that wasn’t often taken off the shelf. 

She tucked the book under her arm and carefully descended the ladder. She’d gathered a few other books to take back to Josie and Lizzie’s room so she could try and figure out if it could be magical. 

When she got to the ground she gathered up the other books and walked toward the exit. She could stop by the kitchen and grab a few bottles of water. She was determined not to leave that room until Josie felt a little better. 

Lizzie was sitting in a chair by the bed when Hope got back. Alaric was in the corner, staring at his phone with his jaw clenched. Josie looked like she was sleeping and Hope just wanted this to be a nightmare she could wake up from. 

“Any change?” She asked softly. 

“No,” Alaric answered. 

“Dad tried to take her temperature but it broke the thermometer,” Lizzie added. 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t take her to the hospital?” Lizzie asked her dad.   
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Hope said. 

She was staring at Josie’s prone body on the bed, eyes wide. Lizzie followed her gaze and her eyes widened as well. Finally, Alaric turned to see why they had become silent. Josie’s body was emitting a sickly, yellow glow that pulsed. She trembled, her eyes open and unseeing, a low keen came from inside of her. 

Hope rushed to the bed and put her hand on Josie’s arm. It burned and she let go, her instincts taking over, but grasped Josie’s wrist again. She tried to feed her magic but it wasn’t working. 

“Lizzie, help me,” she ground out. 

It was so hard to hold on but she ignored the pain and pushed it away. Lizzie came to the side of the bed that Hope was on and reached out to touch her sister. She quickly drew her hand back when she was burned as well. 

“Let go,” Lizzie ordered. 

“No, I’m try-” Hope started. 

“Let go! I’ll be the conduit,” Lizzie insisted. 

Hope did as she said and let go of Josie. Lizzie’s hand replaced hers and they linked hands themselves. Hope felt Lizzie start to draw magic from her and she sighed, glad that it was her other hand that Lizzie held so the one that felt burned raw didn’t hurt as much. 

“Take it all,” Hope said. 

“Calm down, she’s getting better. Look,” Lizzie said. 

It was true, the yellow had all but disappeared and Josie had stopped moving again. Lizzie continued to draw on her magic and pass it through, causing a red glow to replace the yellow. The magic worked and Josie’s breathing returned to normal. 

Hope looked at the hand she’d touched Josie with and frowned. There were no marks, her skin was as smooth as ever. Lizzie started to lose energy and leaned against the bed. Hope reached out to support her, ignoring the pain in her hand again. 

Alaric was kneeling on the other side of the bed with his hand out toward his daughter. He didn’t touch her lest he interrupt the transfer of magic and because it was so easy to tell she was too hot to touch. 

Hope was strong, garnering power from all sides of her ancestry so she would last longer than Lizzie. So, when it was clear that Josie had stabilized she broke the link with Lizzie and pulled her hand away from Josie. 

Lizzie sank onto the bed and flopped onto her side, nearly sliding off the backside of the mattress. For the second time in one day, Hope caught a Satlzman twin in her arms and laid her down softly. She was drained as well but well enough to make sure everyone in the room was okay. 

“This is definitely magic,” Hope insisted, her gaze resting on Alaric. 

“You’re right,” he said with a heavy sigh. 

"I brought books. I figure there might be an answer here. And Aunt Freya, I should call her," Hope said. 

"I need to call Dorian back and update him. I'll be right outside," Alaric said. 

“Well, I’ll watch Josie while you two are making calls and doing other things,” Lizzie said. 

“What? Are you mad or something? You’ve been a bitch all day and it’s getting old. Josie is really sick and you don’t know… she could…” Hope couldn’t finish the sentence. 

“Oh my god, calm down. I was being serious. I might be a bitch but my sister is the most important thing to me. Seriously, you think I’m that heartless?” Lizzie countered. 

Hope closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart. It always beat a little faster but right now she was in supercharge mode and she needed to stay level headed. 

“Okay, well I’m sorry,” Hope sighed. 

She took her phone out of her pocket and found her aunt in her recent contacts list. It took a few rings but she picked up and Hope immediately felt a little relief. If anyone knew something it would be Freya. 

“Hey,” Hope said. 

“Hi honey,” Freya answered. 

“I’ve got a situation here,” Hope said. 

“Ah, how can I help?” Freya asked. 

“Josie’s sick. She’s got an insane fever, one that would kill any human. She started glowing and she didn’t breathe right. When we started to make her siphon from me she got better. She passed out earlier and I tried to give her as much magic as possible but it was hard since she wasn’t awake. Lizzie helped me this time and it worked better. I need to know how to fix this,” Hope babbled. 

“Slow down, Hope.” Freya paused for a moment and seconds ticked by in silence. “It’s definitely magic related. Something that’s consuming her magic. You should be careful. It could be contagious, not as much to you since you’re not only a witch but still. You’ve got access to more books there than I have here so let me take a look, talk to the coven, and you can do the same. I’ll call you back if I find something,” Freya said. 

“Um, okay. Thanks,” Hope mumbled. 

She’d been hoping for an instant answer, something she could defeat and have Josie back. 

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t help more,” Freya said. 

“It’s okay.” Hope bit her bottom lip and ran her teeth over it. “I just need her to get better.” 

“I know and we’ll figure it out,” Freya said. 

“Okay, call me the second you get anything,” Hope said. 

“I will,” Freya promised. 

“Bye,” Hope said, hanging up. 

She didn’t wait for her aunt to say anything more. She went straight back to the bed. She looked over and Lizzie and sighed. They were on opposite sides of Josie probably having very different thoughts. 

“Aunt Freya says we should be careful of it being contagious,” Hope said. 

“What?” Alaric asked. 

He had come back through the bedroom door just as Hope had spoken. 

“Yeah, she said I’d probably be fine being a tribred but it might be more dangerous for Lizzie,” Hope said. 

“Hey, I’m not leaving Josie,” Lizzie insisted. 

“I can’t have you get sick too,” Alaric said. 

“It won’t do Josie any good if you get sick too. What happens if we need you to help me make her better again. At least this way we could cut down the chance of you getting it,” Hope pointed out. 

“It’s not fair. Who knows if it’s even contagious or if you’re immune. Just because you’re a freak doesn’t mean you won’t get it,” Lizzie said. 

“Hope’s got a better chance of not getting it and I want you safe. You can visit once we find out more,” Alaric said. 

He stood and towered over Lizzie, no longer letting her question him. That’s when she knew there was no use. He’d just drag her out of the room anyway. 

“You better text me if she needs more magic or if she wakes up,” Lizzie insisted. 

“Of course,” Alaric said, nodding. 

“Where am I even supposed to go?” Lizzie asked. 

“Um, my room or the library, anywhere,” Hope suggested.

“Fine, it’ll give me a chance to try out your fancy bed,” Lizzie sighed. 

She held her hand out and looked down at Hope, eyebrows raised. 

“Keys?” 

Hope shook her head. “They’re in my bag, which I left in the dining hall when everything went down,” she said. 

“They brought it to my office, actually.” He stood next to Lizzie and put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go get them and I’ll walk you to Hope’s room.” 

Lizzie thought about giving him an attitude for assuming she couldn’t make it on her own but she decided against it. At least, he was being a dad right now. 

``

The sun was perfect. Clouds rolled through the sky, shading the meadow from time to time but even when the bright rays beat down, they weren’t that harsh. The grass was green and vibrant. A bunny hopped along the shoreline, disappearing into the woods. 

Josie was in heaven.

Soon, Hope would join her and the day would be even better. It was their first date and Josie had planned a picnic on the dock. There was a beautiful, soft green blanket draped over the wooden surface for them to sit on and a basket full of food that Josie had made herself, all of Hope’s favorites. 

She sat waiting on the dock, glancing around occasionally. Birds chirped friendly greetings at her and she could hear the soft movement of the water against the dock. She placed her hands back behind her body to support herself and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face. 

“You look really beautiful like that,” Hope said. 

Josie’s eyes snapped open and she turned to see the object of her affections standing not three feet away, smiling down at her. 

“Hey,” Josie said. 

Hope’s smile melted her insides even more so than usual. It was the one she’d given Josie the night she revealed having a crush on Hope. That one with the perfect tilt to her head and the glow that radiated out. 

An aura of orangey, green colored the air around Hope, distracting Josie from her face. She looked down at her own hand to see a deep purple emanating from her own body. It was faint but noticeable to her. Josie’s eyebrow rose and then she shrugged it off. 

Weirder things had happened and she just wanted to enjoy their date. 

“Come sit. I’ve got so much food and I snuck out a bottle of wine,” Josie said. 

Hope giggled but sat down beside her, shaking her head. She reached over Josie for the wine and poured herself some. Josie held out her wine glass but Hope put the bottle down after only filling her own. 

Josie scrunched her face in mild confusion but poured herself a glass anyway. Hope didn’t seem angry. Maybe she didn’t see Josie’s hand outstretched. 

“Josie? Are you listening?”

Josie shook her head and saw Hope looking at her expectedly. When had she started talking?

Josie made to respond but could only stammer. 

“Figures,” Hope scoffed at her. Josie frowned.

“What figures?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” Hope shrugged. “What else is in that basket of yours?”

Josie smiled again and opened up the goodies she brought. She’d managed to find a place that made genuine beignets...though she couldn’t remember where. Hope flashed her that signature smirk again as she grabbed one off the plate, that orange aura shining a little brighter. 

“Look how sweet you are,” Hope praised her. “How can someone be so sweet and such a burden all at once?”

Now Josie was really confused. Everything had been going so well. She made sure everything was perfect. She’d even gotten up extra early to make sure the weather was going to cooperate. 

“Wh-what?” What was happening? When had it gotten so cloudy? And when did Hope’s smile suddenly disappear?

“Oh, come on now Jo. Don’t be shy about it.” Hope shoved her with her shoulder, probably harder than she intended. “Don’t pretend you’re not loving this attention.”

“I’m not,” Josie protested. “I’m just confused. Do you really think I’m a burden?”

“Well, how many more times can you expect me to rescue you from this?” Hope gave her a strange look as if she was appraising her.

“From what?” Josie was getting frustrated now. And...cold? “Did it suddenly get colder to you?”

Hope giggled again but it didn’t sound so sweet anymore. Josie tried to speak but just ended up coughing instead. Her lungs felt like they had sand in them and she couldn’t get it out. 

“Hope...Hope, I don’t feel so good.” Hope got up and started circling her. She felt like an easy kill being stalked by a predator. Things were going so wrong.

“Oh Josie,” Hope said as she stalked. “That’s what dark magic will do to you. It burns you from the inside out.” 

Josie felt like she was suffocating. She was freezing but burning and couldn’t breathe. The air around her was dry and cut like ice. Every breath she took cut her inside.

“Hope please—“ but she was gone. Josie was alone. All alone and gasping for any kind of relief. 

You can’t keep me locked up forever, Josie. 

That voice! She hated that voice, slinking in her head like a dirty snake. The dark version of herself. She stopped hearing it over a year ago. Why was it here now?

She tried to scramble up and find Hope. She would help, she would know what to do. Relying on Hope was second nature. No one else came through for her.

Josie’s legs felt weak. And as she tried to move forward she stumbled further onto the dock. Panting and freezing, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water. She moved closer to inspect it. 

And all she saw were purple veins, skin that was too pale, dark hair, and black, soulless eyes. 

The dark vision was her but not. The vibrant red lips, colored with thick lipstick, twisted into a smile. It leered at her, the surface rippling with the movement of the water. 

She pushed herself away from the image, using all her strength to move a few feet back onto the dock. 

Purple veins popped into view and she stared down at her hands, watching as they moved under her skin like little bugs were crawling through them instead of blood. 

Jooooosie

That was a different voice, further away, but she recognized it. Hope was calling her but it seemed different than when she was right there on the dock. She was faint and worried, sad maybe. 

Josie struggled to stand again. She had to go toward that voice.

“Hope…” 

“I’m here.”

Something was shaking her shoulder. She groaned and a new type of consciousness came to her. 

“Josie, wake up,” Hope said. 

“Hmm.” Josie hummed. Her head lolled to the side and she moved her hand toward Hope. That slow journey stopped when Hope took her hand and squeezed. 

“You’re dreaming. Wake up,” Hope said. 

The voice was closer now so when Josie opened her eyes the first thing she saw was a close up of Hope’s lips. She pulled her head back, squinting a little, and Hope’s eyes came into focus. Was this still the dream?

She could still feel Hope's hand in hers so she used her other hand to push herself up. She scrambled to get off the bed, hampered by not being fully awake. 

"Slow down," Hope said. 

Josie felt arms surround her and help her up. She let it happen and within a second she was on her feet. 

Hope didn't let her go but kept her aloft. They moved together toward the ensuite bathroom. She pushed the door open, flipped the light on, and turned to the right. 

Hope let her go and slipped back to the doorway to give Josie privacy. Josie looked into the mirror. Her breaths were ragged and her hands shook as she held onto the counter. 

Josie leaned towards the mirror to properly inspect her face. Her skin looked pale and shiny with sweat but she didn’t see a single vein. Her eyes looked dull but they were the same chocolate brown. Her hair seemed to be the same and she even leaned as far as she could to inspect the roots. 

Nothing. It was a dream. Now all she felt was dizzy and a little embarrassed by her minor outburst. 

She heard a knock at the door. 

“Josie? Everything okay?” Hope. She was still here. 

“Uh, yeah,” Josie stammers, splashing some water on her face quickly. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

She made her way out of the bathroom after a few minutes, Hope still there waiting for her. She was holding herself up with one hand on the wall and had enough presence of mind to siphon from the wall a little bit this time. She sighed as she felt a little bit of relief from the overall discomfort that still encompassed her existence. 

“Hey,” Hope said, gently. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed. I want you to try and drink something. Maybe eat a little?”

Josie could see that Hope had apparently gathered some soup and some tea at some point while she was sleeping. 

She sighed with relief. It really was just a bad dream. Hope still cared about her. She let Hope lead her back to her bed. 

“Yeah...yeah, that sounds great.”

“How do you feel?” Hope asked as she all but tucked Josie back into bed and laid a hand on her forehead. “You’re still burning up but not as bad as before.”

“Still awful. But still not as bad as I could be if you’d left,” Josie said as she closed her eyes at the cool touch of Hope’s hand. “What happened?”

Hope handed her the still warm cup of tea. She had no idea how to tell Josie what happened. It had been horrifying to watch and she hardly had words.

“You...got bad there for a second. Unresponsive. You were so hot to the touch it legitimately burned us. Like a chemical burn but...magic? If that makes any sense?” Hope was standing and walking around the bed, tidying little things that didn’t need to be cleaned up. 

“We um. We had Lizzie siphon from me and directly into you. It was the only thing we could think of! You were like seizing and we were so scared and I just—”

“Hope,” Josie interjected softly. “It’s okay. I’m still here.”

She stopped Hope’s pacing with a hand on her arm, pulling her over to sit on the bed.   
“I’m sorry about all this,” Josie said. 

Hope reached out and put her index finger to Josie’s lips. 

“No, do not apologize. This isn’t your fault,” she insisted. 

Josie looked down and put her other hand on top of Hope’s. 

“But what if this is because of the dark magic?” Josie asked. 

She could barely get the words out without seeing images from her dream flash into her mind. This could just be another consequence of her choices. The guilt wouldn’t go away and there was nothing she could do about that. No amount of good done would make up for everything that happened. 

“It’s been a year since the dark magic. I think it would have happened before now if it was related. I’ve been reading and I think I’ve narrowed it down. There are certain viruses that affect witches differently. It seems to be draining you of magic, desiccating you from the inside.”

Hope pointed to the stack of books she’d been looking through while Josie was asleep. 

“There were accounts in ancient Egypt of curses that did that to high priests and priestesses. I even found an account from England where they talk about a burning sickness and how it spread among whole covens,” Hope said. 

“So, it’s something only witches get,” Josie wondered. 

“Jo, we’re gonna figure this out,” Hope said. 

She faced Josie and reached out to touch her cheek with one hand. 

“I’m not losing you… ever,” Hope promised. 

Josie smiled and looked down at her hands. No one could promise that. She just hoped that it came true for Hope’s sake. She would leave or do something even more drastic before she’d ever hurt Hope again. That she could say for sure.


End file.
